The Proletariat's Champion
by H20loo
Summary: The sequel to Dystopian Utopia. Anna and Elsa find themselves drawn into the Rebellion, but being the inspiration for thousands is taking its toll on the Ice Queen and her Apprentice. As the Revolution simmers, the cost of freedom may be higher than both of them are willing to pay.
1. Peace Before the Storm

A/N: Hey Everyone! I got such positive feedback from the Dystopian Utopia that I decided to continue. Thank you so much for everyone who reviewed and PM'd. Now I can only hope I live up to your expectations. :) Thanks for reading.

Chapter 1 – Peace Before the Storm

Anna carefully closed and locked the cottage's outer door, twisting the key until she heard a pronounced "click". A slightly-amused looking brown bear waited for her at the edge of the clearing, an affectionate look forming in her ursine eyes as the redhead bounced toward her. "Good morning, Mama-Bear!" Anna chirped, hugging Elinor's neck as soon as the bear was in reach. Elinor snuffled her hair in reply and turned toward east toward the village of Dunbroch, their destination for this particular very early morning.

"Thank you so much for doing this for me," Anna said as they walked along, and the bear snorted good-naturedly. Most people would have been hard pressed to interpret a bear's snort, but this was Anna, so she easily understood Elinor. "You had a choice," Anna protested half-heartedly, but couldn't quite keep the grin off her face. The bear snorted again as they continued walking. The village outskirts came into view and Anna's steps grew hesitant, slowing before stopping completely. She knew the people of Dunbroch supported the Rebellion, but there was still so much danger in being seen by people, so much she was putting at risk by attempting this errand.

"The sky's not awake, so hardly anyone's awake yet, Anna," Elinor, now in human form, reassured her. "And the cloak will hide your face. We don't have to go in, but right now is as safe as it will ever be."

Anna sighed. "I know," she admitted. "And I want to go in more than anything. But I can't help but think that doing this while we are the most wanted fugitives in the State is pretty stupid."

Elinor smiled affectionately. "Not stupid, Anna," she assured the nervous redhead. "How does your Other Half put it? More like 'ill-advised'."

Anna smiled at the mention of Elsa. Yes, that's exactly what she would have said, and the reminder of who and what she was here for filled Anna with warmth and resoluteness. "So which building are we headed for?" she asked, as she put up her hood.

"That one," Elinor responded, indicating a picturesque little cottage with a shingled roof and blue accented windows on the periphery. "He has a shop on Main Street, but I requested this meeting some place a little more private."

"Probably for the best," Anna replied as they looked carefully for any other people. Seeing none, they crossed into the village proper and quickly found themselves at the front door of the cottage. Elinor knocked, and the door was opened promptly to reveal a white-haired older gentleman with spectacles perched on his nose. The ends of his bushy white mustache lifted upwards as he smiled at Elinor.

"Welcome, Lady Dunbroch!" he said enthusiastically. "And this must be the niece you've told me so much about. Please, come in the both of you." The women stepped in, and a cacophony of ticking greeted them as Anna noticed the myriad cuckoo clocks on the walls. "Woodworking is my other love," he said with a smile and she smiled back as she removed her hood. The old man's eyebrow quirked and Anna felt certain that he recognized her, but just as quick the odd expression disappeared and he held out his hand. "My name's Geppetto," he introduced himself.

"And mine is Anna," Anna replied, as she took his hand and shook it. "Thank you for agreeing to see us so early in the morning."

"Very nice to meet you, Anna" Geppetto said sincerely, squeezing her hand and letting it go. "And please do not worry yourself about the time. My son and I would do much more for the Dunbroch clan. Now I hear you're in the market for an engagement ring," he said, his eyes twinkling.

"Um, yes," Anna said shyly.

"Then let me show you what styles I have," he said. Turning his head, he called for his son. "Pinocchio! Please bring out the displays," he called. A tall, black-haired, blue-eyed teenager emerged from one of the back rooms, hefting three wooden trays that he set on the table in front of the couch.

"Lady Dunbroch, Miss," he acknowledged them courteously, as he spread out the displays. "Please have a seat, Miss," he offered, slightly disappointed that the lovely young woman in his father's home was shopping for an engagement ring. Anna smiled at him and sat, turning her attention to the rings. There were many different styles, some masculine, some feminine, and Anna looked over each one carefully. All were beautiful, though, and Anna appreciated the skill that had gone into making such beauty.

As Anna studied the rings, the jeweler's son carefully studied her. The young lady was beautiful, of that there was no doubt, and she had the fiery red hair of the Dunbroch clan, but Pinocchio wasn't so sure that she was actually related to the Lady Dunbroch. Her hair was straight, not curly like most of the other Dunbrochs, and her eyes were an enchanting blue-green color that was not quite like anything else he had ever seen. She was also very familiar in a way that he just couldn't place, and it was odd that his father had opened their house to these ladies so very early in the morning. He glanced at his father beside him and then back to the young lady whose face had grown thoughtful yet dissatisfied looking at the rings.

"Is there nothing to your liking, Miss?" he asked curiously.

Anna looked up. She paused briefly, choosing her words carefully so that she didn't offend the nice jeweler or his son that had gone out of their way to be so accommodating. "No, I like them all very much," she said honestly. "But I guess I had a very specific idea in my head about what I wanted to get, and I don't really see it here."

Pinocchio smiled, putting Anna at ease. "There's nothing wrong with having your own ideas, Miss," he assured her. He retrieved a piece of paper and a pencil from a nearby desk and placed it by the trays on the table. "Draw us what you had in mind," he offered. "We would probably be able to handcraft it for you."

Anna's eyes lit up as she took the pencil, and she smiled, causing the young man to blush involuntarily. Her sketching instincts took over, and within a very short amount of time she presented the teenager with a detailed drawing of what she wanted for Elsa. "I was thinking about something like this," she said, handing him the paper. "But I don't have a lot of money, so I don't know if you could make this on my budget."

Pinocchio took it, looked at it briefly and then handed the drawing to the person who would actually be fashioning the ring. "Hey Papa, it looks like we have a special request," he said cheerfully, and Geppetto looked at the sketch of a flat band with inlaid stones before sitting next to Anna on the couch to get some more details. Pinocchio and Elinor pulled up chairs of their own.

"So you are looking to make this within a specific budget. Hm. May I have the pencil, Miss Anna?" Geppetto requested and Anna nodded as she handed it to him. He scribbled down something beneath the drawing and asked his first question. "What ring size would this be?" he asked.

Anna frowned, not exactly sure of the answer. "Um, probably about the same as mine," she hypothesized.

"It is for another young lady, then, yes?" Geppetto asked, still scribbling.

"Yes," Anna confirmed with a happy smile.

Geppetto smiled back, charmed by her happiness. "What stones and metal were you hoping for?" he inquired.

"I hadn't really thought about the stones," Anna admitted. "But I would like the metal to be silver colored and it needs to be able to withstand large temperature variations. It especially can't turn brittle at very low temperatures."

Geppetto nodded unconcernedly, but Pinocchio blinked in surprise. That was an incredibly unusual request for an engagement ring. "What does your Intended do?" he asked, curious, and Anna looked up at him and then Elinor in a mild panic.

"Pinocchio! It's impolite to ask such a personal question," Geppetto chastised him sharply, noticing Anna's discomfort.

"Sorry, Papa," Pinocchio muttered apologetically, and Anna instantly sympathized with his plight of managing to blurt out the wrong thing at the wrong time.

"She's, um, an ice harvester," Anna answered somewhat truthfully, hoping to cheer the young man up by answering his question. He looked up and she smiled at him, causing him to blush once again.

Geppetto smiled wryly and cleared his throat at his son's embarrassment. It was too bad Anna was already taken because his boy was falling for her dangerously fast. "An 'ice harvester', eh?" he said, fixing Anna with a knowing twinkle in his eye, and now Anna had no doubt he knew exactly whom he was making the ring for. "Then perhaps we could use diamonds for the stones to represent ice?" he offered.

"Diamonds would be lovely, but I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to afford the ring," Anna admitted. "Is there a semi-precious stone that would work?"

"For an ice-like stone, no, nothing but diamonds would be appropriate," Geppetto said dismissively. He was lying, of course, but what Anna didn't know was that he and Lady Dunbroch had already come to an understanding and the ring was paid for no matter what Anna chose. So, with this in mind, he didn't want Anna to be limited by the amount she thought she could afford. On the other hand, he didn't want her to realize he and Lady Dunbroch were in collusion, so he offered a compromise to make it seem he still had her budget in mind. "But, I know you are on a budget, so perhaps we could interspace diamonds with some sort of semi-precious stone," he strategized. He looked in her eyes and smiled. "Perhaps aquamarine?" he suggested.

Anna stared at her sketch, using her imagination to replace the grey pencil marks with silvery metal and blue-green and clear sparkling stones. "That would be beautiful and I think she would love it," Anna decided.

Elinor chuckled and offered her opinion for the first time. "I _know_ the lass would love it, dear," she said wryly. "It's pretty obvious she loves the color of your eyes along with everything else."

Anna nodded with a small blush. "How much would it cost me?" she asked, hopeful that she would be able to afford it.

"Well, Miss, your aunt here says that you are a painter and she has shown me some of your work," Geppetto replied. "If you would be amenable to barter, I think I could make this ring in exchange for one of your beautiful forest landscapes."

Anna's mouth dropped open as did Pinocchio's. "That is not a fair exchange, sir," Anna protested, and Pinocchio subtly nodded his head in agreement, dumbfounded that his father would ask for so little in return for such a valuable ring.

"I believe that it is," Geppetto contradicted. "You are very talented and I enjoy your esthetic. As one artist to another, I think of an exchange of our works would be wholly compensatory and appropriate, and I will accept no other payment from you."

Anna frowned, wanting the ring for Elsa but not wanting to outright cheat the nice man. "Will you accept no other payment?" she asked tentatively.

"From you, no," Geppetto said firmly but gently.

"Then I accept your barter, even though I can't help but feel I am cheating you somehow," Anna said, reaching out her hand to seal the deal.

"You owe me nothing but a painting," Geppetto assured her, and they shook hands. "Now my dear, there are two last things and we will be all done here. First, when will you need this ring by?" he inquired.

"Our one-year anniversary is in a month, so I would like it by then, if that's possible," Anna responded hopefully.

Geppetto nodded. "That should be a sufficient amount of time. One month it is," he agreed, and Anna was delighted. "Now, Miss Anna, if you'll follow me," he requested, and Anna did so. He retrieved a large ring with many smaller rings attached to it and took Anna's left hand, trying various ones on until he had found the right size. "Are you quite sure your hands are the same size?" he asked.

Anna concentrated, thinking about the many times they had held hands or had their hands pressed up against each other's or Elsa's hands had been somewhere on her body. It had been a lot of times and she was intimately familiar with those hands. "Her fingers are longer," she decided, "but, the width is about the same."

"Good, then we'll start there, and if we need to adjust it a bit after you've asked her, it won't be a problem," Geppetto stated as he made a few more notes on the sketch. "Is there anything else I can help you ladies with?" he asked.

Elinor looked at Anna and Anna shook her head. "No, I think we are done here, Geppetto," Elinor answered. "Thank you so much for everything, but now that the sun's starting to rise, we must be leaving."

"Of course, of course," Geppetto said, ignoring his still-stunned son that was staring at him from across the room. "It was a pleasure and an honor to meet you, Miss Anna," he said sincerely, placing his fingers on his head before clasping his fist over his heart.

"For me too, sir," Anna responded, wondering about the gesture as Geppetto opened the door and she put her hood back up. She and Elinor exited and Geppetto closed the door behind them.

Hearing the door shut snapped Pinocchio out of his stunned stupor and he came over to chastise his father mildly. "Papa, what the Pillars were you thinking?" he demanded gently. "We can't afford to take a painting for that ring. The materials alone will cost hundreds if not thousands."

"Lady Dunbroch has already agreed to cover the cost of any materials needed for the rings," Geppetto said calmly, stopping Pinocchio in mid-tirade. "And any labor will be my honor to donate. In fact, I plan to make a second one using sapphires so that Miss Anna may have one that matches her future Intended's," he informed his now confused son.

"Well, if she's paying for them, then I guess it is okay," Pinocchio allowed before continuing. "But why, Papa? Why are you doing so much for a person you just met?"

"Because that young woman is the face of hope, Pinocchio," his father said simply.

Pinocchio mulled that over, noting the careful terminology. "She's not a Dunbroch, is she?" he questioned after several moments' thought.

"No," his father confirmed.

"And she needed a ring that could withstand the cold," Pinocchio continued, realization beginning to dawn in his blue eyes.

"Yes, she did," his father replied, happy that comprehension was starting to filter into that boy's scattered, almost wooden head. He loved Pinocchio to death, but the teenager could be dense sometimes.

"I thought I knew her from somewhere," Pinocchio mused, before his eyes widened. "Wait. Does that mean that the Apprentice herself was in our home, Papa?" he asked wondrously, now knowing why his father had been so honored.

"Not only that, Pinocchio, but we are making an engagement ring for the Ice Queen herself," he said reverently. "I joined this rebellion the day they took your Mama away from us, and now I feel like we have an actual chance of winning because those two ladies have joined us. A pair of engagement rings is the least I can do."

"The least _we_ can do, Papa," Pinocchio corrected him, and Geppetto beamed at his only child.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Once on the outskirts of the village, Elinor changed back into her bear form, and Anna happily "chatted" with her as they walked, asking after Fergus and the rest of the Dunbroch clan until they made it back to the cottage in the woods. Anna invited Elinor in for coffee, and Elinor readily agreed, changing back into her human form and slipping on her dress to follow Anna inside.

"Hello, wee beast," she greeted Olaf as he came over to welcome her. "Where's your other kitty?" she asked Anna as she petted him.

"Marshmallow always goes with Elsa," Anna replied, filling two mugs with coffee and bringing them over after adding some milk and sugar to both. "He adores her. And her morning runs and climbs are a good way for him to be out in nature."

"It is," Elinor agreed, settling herself on the couch.

Anna did the same, careful not to spill her coffee on herself like she had a tendency to do. "So just out of curiosity," she began, getting the conversation started. "Did Geppetto use Elsa's hand gestures from my execution as we were leaving?"

"Yes, he did," Elinor confirmed. "Leader has widely disseminated the unedited tape of your execution and now most anyone who would like to view it can. Though it's barely a few seconds of film, the public picked up on that moment between you two and those gestures very rapidly became the unofficial salute of those in the Rebellion. Most substitute a fist for the open hand at the heart, though, like Geppetto did."

"Wow," Anna commented. "I had no idea we had already influenced people that much." She grew pensive at that thought before trying to shake off the melancholy in true Anna fashion. "So is that why you brought me to Geppetto? Because he is a part of the Rebellion too?" she reasoned, trying to change the subject.

"Yes," Elinor confirmed. "Geppetto is a long time member, and he is completely trustworthy."

"Why did he join?" Anna asked, always interested in people's motivations for betraying the State and courting death.

"His wife was an Extraordinary," Elinor replied, her voice growing soft. "She had cellular regeneration powers. Right after Pinocchio was born, some people betrayed her, and she was arrested by the Enforcers. They tried to take Pinocchio too, thinking that he might have her abilities, but she refused to hand him over. They shot her dead in front of her husband and newborn son then burned the body so it couldn't heal itself."

Tears started to slip down Anna's cheeks, and she was reminded again how naïve she had been when she had joined up with Leader. She had joined because she was lonely and she hated the system that forced her to be lonely. People like Geppetto, Elinor and Elsa, though; they had real reasons for hating the State. "Is that why he would only take a painting for Elsa's ring?" she asked quietly when she could find her voice again. "Because he knew who I was?"

Elinor nodded, sad herself at the topic and at seeing the usually-bubbly Anna so upset. She decided to cheer up the place a bit, even if it did get her in trouble. "But the painting-for-a-ring exchange might not have been all Geppetto's doing," she confessed sheepishly. "I might have told him beforehand that I would be paying for anything you picked out."

The tears stopped as the indignation grew. "Mama-bear!" Anna chided in exasperation. "You know that I had been saving for that."

Mission accomplished, Elinor thought wryly. Anna was now completely distracted with something other than her sadness. "Yeah, I know, dear, but you two really have become my surrogate daughters. Since Merida won't be getting married any time soon, I decided to flex my maternal instincts a bit," she shrugged.

Anna looked at her grumpily but Elinor looked back unconcernedly. "Thank you," Anna begrudgingly said at last, setting down her coffee mug to give the older woman a hug.

"You're always welcome, dear," Elinor replied with a gentle smile, returning the hug with gusto. "Now let's get these mugs in the sink before your lass returns and Marshmallow decides to play with them," she decided as they parted.

"Speaking of which, they really should be home by now," Anna mentioned with a speculative frown as they stood up. She glanced around the cottage, looking to see if Elsa might have left her some sort of note when she spied a telltale piece of paper attached to the front of their bedroom door. She walked over and carefully pulled it off.

"_Marshmallow and I are down by the creek, and we would love it if you would join us when you get home from your errand with Elinor. Love you_," it read.

Anna smiled. She had been complaining about being cooped up all winter and most of the spring, so now that the weather had eased into warmer late spring, Elsa had obviously planned something while Anna had been gone on her errand. "Why are you still in this cottage, dear?" Elinor inquired pointedly as she read the note over Anna's shoulder.

"I really don't know," Anna admitted, and Elinor chuckled. Anna grabbed her cloak back off its hook and they exited. Elinor waved goodbye to the younger girl as she went back in the direction of Dunbroch and Anna waved back as she went in the opposite direction towards the creek.

Marshmallow's ears perked up, and Elsa sprang to her feet, knowing the cub's sensitive ears had picked up the sound of something approaching. She hid herself carefully in the trees and smiled when she saw a familiar form. Elsa was just about to call out to Anna when she noticed the slightly-downcast face and puffy eyes. Elsa frowned; with the way Anna had been giddily anticipating today and refusing to tell her about what she was doing, Elsa had assumed it was a happy errand. Now she wasn't so sure. At any rate, she always hated to see Anna sad, so she decided to try out something she had been working on. She formed her hands into a closed sphere and concentrated, using her powers to sculpt. When she was satisfied, she opened her hands and set her new creations free.

Anna walked out of the woods to the clearing by the creek, instantly spying the blanket and the quickly growing, but still-spotted lynx cub that was adorably tripping over his own clumsy feet to come greet her. Anna laughed and crouched down to rub his head and he purred. He followed her back to the blanket and as she settled herself on it, he settled himself in her lap. Anna smiled, contentedly stroking his soft fur as she looked around for Elsa. Anna didn't see her, but she did notice two small insects fluttering towards her. When they got close enough, Anna realized they were butterflies, and when they got even closer, she realized one was formed out of ice and the other, snow.

"Just when I thought she couldn't get any more amazing," Anna murmured, holding out her right hand as a lopsided grin came to her face. The butterflies alighted onto her fingers, and she brought them closer so that she could see their exquisite detail more closely. She was so wrapped up in studying their intricate snowflake and spot patterns that she didn't notice the presence of another person until a pair of arms encircled her waist and drew her back against a familiar body.

"Do you like them?" Elsa asked, her breath tickling Anna's ear.

"I love them," Anna responded instantly, earning a smile from Elsa. "Were they hard to make?"

"No, it just took a little more concentration," Elsa replied. She nuzzled Anna's neck and Anna almost purred in contentment at her loving touch. "And you looked like you needed cheering up. Why are you sad, my lovely Apprentice?" Elsa asked gently, her arms tightening around Anna. "You've been so excited about today. Did something go wrong?"

Anna unexpectedly chuckled, sending a vibration through Elsa's body. "How do you do that?" she asked Elsa affectionately. She set the frozen butterflies free and turned a little so she could see Elsa's face. "How do you know instantly what I am thinking and how I am feeling?" she demanded playfully.

"You have a very expressive face, and I've always been able to read you," Elsa teasingly reminded her, happy to see her more cheerful. "And, I've been living with you for months, so that helps too. But you didn't answer my question, Anna. Why are you sad?" Elsa persisted, not about to let Anna off the hook.

Anna sighed, unsurprised that Elsa was not letting it go. Elsa hated to see her sad, and if her sadness was something Elsa could fix, Elsa would do everything in her power to try. "Nothing went wrong today," Anna answered truthfully. "In fact, it went much better than it could have or than I thought it would. But, at some points I was reminded of certain realities of living in the State, and it made me sad in spite of my happiness about other things."

Anna had been living with her for too long, Elsa decided in mild exasperation. It was a perfectly-crafted, perfectly-vague answer that answered her question without really giving her any other information. Her Apprentice had learned well, Elsa thought with a touch of rueful pride. "Well, I am truly sorry to hear that something made you unhappy," Elsa said, kissing Anna's forehead. "And since I know you want to keep whatever you did today a secret, I won't press for details. But, if there's anything I can do to help or to make you feel better, you know I'll do it."

"I know you will and I already feel a million times better," Anna said, snuggling closer to her. "But since you offered, just for today, could we _not_ live in the State? Could we live in a time and place where we can just be two people in love that don't have to worry about being hated or hunted by someone or something?" she pleaded.

"I don't think that such a time and place would have ever existed for us," Elsa said sadly. "We would have been shunned for our sexual proclivities for thousands of years and even if we lived in a time after that, I would have been shunned for being Extraordinary."

"I didn't say it had to be a real time and place," Anna countered, mumbling into Elsa's chest.

"Fair enough," Elsa replied with a smirk, cuddling Anna before standing and pulling Anna up with her. "Then as you wish, my lady. We are no longer in this Pillars-forsaken State," she declared, sweeping her arms around the clearing as if she was transforming it. "We are merely two lovers enjoying a late-spring picnic beside a beautiful creek with our magnificent forest wildcat." Marshmallow, having been unwillingly dislodged from Anna's lap, looked at her when she pointed at him, but the disgruntled look on his face made Anna giggle. Elsa laughed in return and swept Anna up in her arms, giving her a sweet kiss that Anna happily returned. "Food?" Elsa inquired after they parted.

"Always," Anna responded and Elsa smirked at her as she went to get the picnic basket beside the tree. They sat back down on the blanket and a veritable feast emerged from the basket's wicker depths. Anna couldn't help but notice it was all of her favorites, including the chocolate cheesecake that Elsa had managed to perfect. Elsa presented the dessert with a flourish and Anna smiled, reaching out to stoke her cool cheek. "I love it when you get all silly and romantic," Anna said fondly, and Elsa blushed just a little.

"It's your own fault," Elsa mumbled, embarrassed. "I only seem to act like this around you."

"Which makes me love you even more," Anna responded honestly. "I love the fact that the mighty Ice Queen loves me enough to become silly, romantic Elsa for me and only me." Elsa didn't say anything but only blushed deeper, and Anna laughed.

In spite of her embarrassment, Elsa was glad to see Anna back to her usual happy self. "I think we should eat now," she said, holding out some chocolate to distract Anna. Anna grabbed the proffered candy and gave her a kiss of thanks.

Eventually, Elsa convinced Anna to eat something other than chocolate, and the rest of the morning was spent nibbling and munching on the other treats that Elsa had made. Now thoroughly stuffed and still a bit tired from her very early morning, Anna curled up into Elsa's arms as they lay on the blanket and promptly fell asleep in the warm spring sunshine. Elsa smiled and tightened her grip, kissing Anna's hair softly as she held her treasured redhead.

The warm sunshine was enticing Elsa to follow Anna into slumber, but they were far too exposed here at the creek and Elsa knew she had to remain vigilant. She kept herself awake by thinking about everything and anything, and at last her mind settled on how she was going to propose to Anna. The one-year anniversary of Anna becoming her Apprentice was coming up in about a month, and Elsa thought it was the perfect opportunity to ask Anna to marry her. She had some ideas for a ring but nothing concrete, and she was hoping that there was a jeweler in town. Elinor would have to be her emissary, of course, but Elsa knew the older woman would be more than willing. As Anna softly snored, Elsa continued to plan, and by the time Anna started to stir against her chest, Elsa had the day scheduled down to the tiniest detail.

Anna yawned and opened her eyes, blinking as she looked up into beautiful blue eyes that looked at her with loving amusement. "Wow, sorry," she mumbled. "I really didn't mean to fall asleep like that. I was completely out."

"I noticed," Elsa quipped with an affectionate grin. "Especially since you were snoring and drooling on me."

Anna lifted her head, embarrassed, and sure enough, there was a damp spot on Elsa's dark blue shirt. "Um…I brushed my teeth this morning so, uh, my mouth is relatively clean?" Anna offered awkwardly, lifting herself off of Elsa to sit on the blanket.

"Don't worry about it," Elsa assured her, sitting up herself. "It wouldn't be the first time I've had your saliva on my breasts."

That comment made Anna stop short. Even though she was no longer a Master, Elsa was still very literal and matter-of-fact, so she might have just been stating the obvious to reassure Anna. On the other hand, the longer they had been out in the woods by themselves, the more Elsa's wry sense of humor had started to emerge, so the comment might have been made to dryly, yet gently, tease her. Anna lifted her eyebrow, and a small smirk appeared on Elsa's face. So she was being teased, Anna decided. Well, two can play at that game, she thought.

Without warning, she crawled over the blanket and sat in Elsa's lap, straddling her and bringing their faces close together. Elsa's eyebrow quirked, showing her surprise as the mood went from playful to suddenly sensuous as Anna ran her hands up to the body parts in question and started to tease. Elsa tensed as those fingers did their magic, and Anna leaned over farther so that their lips were almost touching. "If I am going to be teased for drooling on you, I might as well do it right," Anna whispered, letting her hands caress for a bit more until they moved to start unbuttoning Elsa's blouse.

Elsa swallowed. Her body wanted nothing more than for Anna to continue, but her rational mind and her survival instincts kept telling her that having sex by the creek would leave them vulnerable to discovery and capture. "We can't do this, Anna," she protested, even as the last button on her blouse was undone and the garment fell open completely. "It isn't safe. We are far too exposed here."

"No, you aren't exposed enough," Anna countered, reaching for Elsa's bra.

"But, I have to stay alert," Elsa said weakly, losing the battle with her desire as Anna accomplished her goal and her warm mouth enveloped one of Elsa's breasts. "I have to protect us," she whimpered, her fingers tangling in soft red hair.

"Marshmallow will protect us," Anna murmured as her mouth continued to work.

That comment made Elsa glance over Anna's shoulder to look at the lynx that had accompanied them. He was upside down on his back on the blanket, dead asleep with his paws in the air, and the sight was so ridiculously adorable that Elsa started laughing in spite of her growing arousal. The laughter startled Anna and she stopped what she was doing to look up Elsa. Elsa pointed behind them, and Anna looked back and saw the state of their so-called protector. She started laughing too, and the tension broke, allowing Elsa to escape.

"Hey, wait!" Anna pouted as Elsa refastened her bra and buttoned up her blouse.

"You and that lovely mouth of yours can do whatever you would like to me once we get home," Elsa promised, picking up their picnic supplies and putting them back in the basket. "But, it's just not safe here, Anna."

"I know," Anna admitted, getting up herself and helping clean up. "And I really didn't mean to take it that far. I just wanted to tease you."

"Well, you did that and more, Apprentice," Elsa said with a smirk, "and I am going to have fun paying you back for it."

Anna shivered at the wicked smirk, and she blushed as they continued to clean. When the creek side was spotless again, they woke up their lynx and the three of them went back to the cottage. They went in and put everything away, and Elsa fed both of the cats to make sure that they wouldn't be disturbed before Anna grabbed her hand and they disappeared into their bedroom for the rest of the day.


	2. Beginnings and Endings

A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry this took so long, but it was an undertaking to write because it ended up being one of the longest chapters I have written. And my computer died as I was writing it. But anyway, please let me know what you think and thanks so much for reading!

Chapter 2 – Beginnings and Endings

Elsa leaned up against the tree, waiting impatiently for a brown bear to come ambling into the prearranged clearing in the woods. Elinor was late, which both annoyed and worried Elsa. Elsa really disliked when people were late, but Elinor was usually punctual, so Elsa was more worried that something had happened. A few branches cracked in front of her, and Elsa breathed a sigh of relief when the familiar ursine form appeared from the undergrowth. A few seconds more and the bear morphed into human Elinor, who promptly dug in her ever-present satchel for her dress and put it on.

"I'm sorry I'm late, lass," Elinor apologized, noticing the tension coming from Elsa. "Leader sent a message for the two of you just as I was about to leave the house," she explained. "It set my time schedule back a bit."

Elsa relaxed her stance a bit, ashamed that she had made Elinor feel uncomfortable. Elinor had done so much for the both of them that making her feel bad for being a few minutes late to a meeting was unbelievably rude and arrogant. "It's fine, really," Elsa said hastily. "I was more worried that something had happened to you because you were risking your neck for us once again."

"Eh, you're my girls now," Elinor shrugged, making Elsa blush a bit. "Anything I'd do for Merida, I'd do for you lasses. Speaking of which…" she said, rummaging around in her satchel, "…here is what you asked me to fetch," she finished, drawing out a medium-sized, ornately-decorated wooden box. She opened the lid, and four rows of rings lay nestled in the soft blue velvet of the box. "He has many more in stock," Elinor assured Elsa, "but these he thought to be his finest."

"I'm a little surprised he let all of these out of his sight," Elsa commented, noticing the abundance of diamonds and precious stones as she began to examine them.

"Geppetto is a kind soul and he trusts me," Elinor said unconcernedly. "Besides, he knows I can pay for any and all of them should they get lost," she added with a chuckle.

Elsa chuckled and then went back to her examination. All of the rings were beautiful, but there was one in particular that she kept coming back to. It was a silvery color and inlaid with she assumed were diamonds and sapphires. The whole design was gorgeous and the style so reminiscent of Anna's drawings that she was instinctively drawn to it. Within seconds she knew it was the one that she wanted, but knowing the cost would be prohibitive if those stones were actually diamonds and sapphires, she kept looking.

Elinor hid a smirk as Elsa continued to pretend she was looking at something other than the diamond and sapphire ring. Even though she couldn't have known who designed it, the lass was still drawn to it like a moth to a flame. "Not to be too forward, lass, but why are you still looking?" Elinor asked after Elsa's eyes had returned to Anna's ring _again_. "It's fairly obvious which one of these you fancy for your Other Half."

Elsa sighed, knowing she had been found out. "You're right," she admitted. "I really like this one and I would love for it to be Anna's engagement ring. But, if those are real stones, there is no way we can afford it."

"And that's where you're wrong, lass," Elinor said with a gentle smile, plucking the ring from the box Elsa held. She took the wooden box away from Elsa and handed her the ring in one smooth motion. "It's already been paid for, so there's nothing to afford," she stated. "Any ring you choose from the box is already yours."

Elsa looked at the ring and then looked at Elinor. "You didn't," Elsa said flatly, a frown emerging. Elinor knew that she disliked not paying for her own things.

"I did," Elinor confirmed, countering the frown with a challenging smirk.

"Why?" Elsa asked tightly, still annoyed.

"Like I said, you're my girls now. It's my wedding present to both of you," Elinor replied, still smirking.

Elsa sighed, looking at the ring and fighting with herself about keeping it. Pride won, and she tried to hand it back to Elinor. "I really do appreciate your thoughtfulness, but I just can't let you buy something that is my responsibility," she decided.

"There is no 'let', here, lass; I've already done it," Elinor countered, crossing her arms and refusing to take the ring back. Elsa frowned, obviously still conflicted, and Elinor sighed as the mother in her came out. She took Elsa gently by the upper arms, compelling Elsa to look at her. "Elsa, please listen," she began, and Elsa's eyes grew thoughtful as Elinor addressed her as "Elsa" for only the second time in their acquaintance. "I understand why you would want to purchase the ring yourself, and I understand why you are cross with me for paying Geppetto before I even brought you the rings to choose from. But please understand, I only did it because I love the two of you like you were my own daughters. You two mean so much to me and to each other that I wanted to do this for you. So please let me do it," she implored, her sincerity apparent with every word.

Elsa's frown softened and she let out a short breath. "All right," she said gruffly, her pride surrendering to her heart for one of the few times where Anna wasn't involved. Except that she was, which was probably why pride had surrendered so easily. Elsa flipped the ring over in her palm, her excitement growing now that she knew the ring would be Anna's. "Thank you, Elinor," she said at last. "Anna will love it."

"Aye, that she will," Elinor said, just barely keeping the knowing smirk off of her face.

"I wish the sapphires were aquamarines, though," Elsa mentioned after more observation, and Elinor coughed trying to hide her surprise.

"And why is that, lass?" she asked when she recovered.

"It would match the color of her eyes," Elsa answered absentmindedly as she kept looking at the ring.

"The ring is supposed to remind her of _you_, lass," Elinor pointed out.

"I suppose," Elsa allowed, taking one last look at the ring before she pocketed it. "You said you had a message from Leader?" she asked.

"Yeah, and the messenger said that a reply was urgent, so he asked that I 'encourage' you to answer as soon as possible," Elinor replied, handing her the small drive she pulled out of her satchel.

Elsa grimaced. She and Anna had replied in the affirmative when Leader had asked them to officially join the Rebellion, but up to now, there hadn't been much for them to do but inspire people. It seemed that their roles might be changing now, Elsa mused as she put the drive in her other pocket. "I'll watch it with Anna and tell you when we as soon as we have decided something," Elsa promised.

Elinor nodded and reached into her satchel. "One last thing, lass," she said, handing Elsa another package, this one a medium-sized box wrapped in brown paper. "Anna ordered this from town about three weeks ago; it finally came in," Elinor said.

Elsa looked at the package, her curiosity piqued. They never went into town for obvious reasons, so Elinor's terminology was odd. Elsa thought back to what would have happened three weeks ago, and realized that Anna's unknown errand and their picnic had been three weeks ago. That riled up her curiosity even further and her interest in the package grew until she noticed Elinor fixing her with a chiding glare. "Don't make me regret giving that to you, lass," she ordered. "I wanted to spare myself a walk to the cottage, but I'll take it to Anna myself if you can't leave it alone. You shouldn't be poking around in Anna's packages with your anniversary so near."

Elsa suddenly felt like a child again. Her curiosity had often gotten her in trouble when she was little and she'd lost count of the times her mother had scolded her for manhandling her Solstice and birthday presents. She tucked the package under her arm contritely, and Elinor nodded, completely charmed both that Elsa seemed to have a child-like side under all that ice and that the child within had listened to her. "Well, I'll be off now, lass," Elinor said. "You should probably get back to the cottage and I need to return the rejects to Geppetto."

Elsa glanced at the rising sun and nodded. "Anna will be waking up about now," she confirmed. "Thank you, again, Elinor."

"You and Anna are always welcome, lass," Elinor assured her before securing everything, turning into a bear and shuffling out of the clearing. Elsa watched her go before whistling sharply, causing Marshmallow to jump down from the tree he had been climbing to land at her feet. She rubbed his head and together they turned back into the woods towards Anna and their hidden cottage.

Anna blinked sleepily as she made her way into the kitchen, mumbling a thank you when a pale hand offered her a mug of coffee that she readily took. "A thank you is all I get?" an amused voice teased her, and Anna woke up a little more when she and her coffee were pulled into a kiss.

Anna hummed happily when Elsa drew away slowly but didn't let go of her completely. "Someone is in a good mood this morning," Anna observed, her coffee clutched to her chest as Elsa's arms encircled her waist.

"I was finally able to accomplish something that has eluded me for far too long," Elsa explained. "And even the thought of it is making me very, very happy. But before you ask, I am sworn to secrecy until the time is right."

"Okay, now that is just not fair," Anna protested, using her free hand to lightly smack Elsa's chest. "You admit you did something awesome and now you won't tell me what it is. You are such a tease sometimes." Elsa smiled and leaned in for another kiss. "Don't think that will make me forgive you," Anna grumbled unconvincingly when they parted.

Elsa laughed and dropped her arms after giving Anna one last squeeze. "I'm not the only one keeping secrets, Apprentice," she accused good-naturedly as she retrieved the square brown box Elinor had given her. "I met Elinor in the woods and she gave me this mysterious package that you ordered from town. She also scolded me for being too interested in it," Elsa said, handing the box to Anna.

Anna's eyes lit up at the sight of the package, ecstatic that Geppetto had finished the ring in time. "Good. I'm glad she scolded you. You have ruined way too many of my surprises by being way too damn smart and way too damn curious," Anna declared.

"And you love me for it," Elsa sassed, wrapping her arms around and kissing Anna once more.

Anna melted into the kiss. Elsa was annoyingly right; Anna did love her for it. "How was Elinor?" Anna asked after their kiss ended.

"Good," Elsa replied. "She had a message from Leader for us. Apparently this one is urgent and they would like a response as soon as possible."

Anna sighed, feeling her happy mood diminish somewhat. Missives from Leader usually meant bad news or hard decisions. She really had no desire to deal with either of those things, not with a happy Elsa wrapped around her and marriage proposals to plan. "Well, we should probably watch it," she said reluctantly.

Elsa nodded. "I'll go get the tablet," she said, releasing Anna and heading for the bedroom to grab the tablet and hide the ring that was in her pocket. Anna sighed again and went to the living room, placing the brown box on the table as she sat on the couch. She took a sip of her almost-forgotten coffee as Elsa came back in the room and sat down beside her. Elsa reached into her pocket and pulled out the drive, plugging it in. Anna's arms automatically went around Elsa as they leaned in to watch it together.

"Good day, Ginger and Morgan," the recording of Leader greeted them. "Things on Campus have gotten even worse, and the Philosophy Club has decided it is time to act. With that in mind a plan has been formulated with two objectives in mind: one, to get me and a few others off Campus and to your location so that we can use the cottage its intended purpose as our base of operations. Even with the safeguards we have in place, Enforcers are getting closer to our operations, and we need to be some place safer. Two, our other objective is to show the State that the Ice Queen is still alive and still involved in the Rebellion. This will be a rallying cry for the Proletariat and a warning to the Patricians. To these ends, we would request that Morgan come back to Campus. We have most of the details worked out, but we need her here so that we can finalize our plans based on her Extraordinary abilities and her knowledge of Campus architecture. Since we don't have the capabilities to hide both of you, we would request that Ginger relocate to Big Daddy's compound. While it would obviously be easiest for her to remain at the cottage, none of us are comfortable leaving her alone with hardly any protection. Because of the impending discovery of the Philosophy Club by the State and our desire to enact these plans as soon as possible, we ask that you respond as quickly as you can. Our messenger will be waiting at Mama-Bear's. Be well and know that we miss you both. Leader out."

Elsa put the tablet on the coffee table and pursed her lips in thought. "I'm not going anywhere without you," she stated. "So I guess we'll have to tell Leader she has to find a way to hide us both or it's not going to happen."

"It's going to be hard enough to hide _you_, love," Anna pointed out. "And I don't need to be there."

"Of course you need to be there," Elsa replied immediately, her voice slipping in to its lower Ice Queen register at her displeasure.

Anna's arms tightened around Elsa, trying to thaw the emotional ice she could feel forming. "No, I don't," she disagreed. "You're the Extraordinary, Elsa; I'm completely ordinary and I really can't do much to help. Having to hide me to would stretch the Club's available resources and put everyone in jeopardy. It's not worth it. _I'm _not worth it, especially when I would be little more than a distraction."

Elsa felt her body stiffening as she tried her very hardest not to get very angry. Seeing Anna cry would always be the thing she hated the most, but Elsa also despised when Anna tried to make herself out to be less than she was. It was obvious from these past months living with her that Plebian life had not been kind to Anna's self-esteem. Between the adults in her life treating her like a pariah because of her free-spiritedness and most of her peers treating her like their idiot little sister because of her hyperactivity, Anna had grown up believing she was deficient somehow. She had outgrown it for the most part and now she was mostly the cheerfully self-confident optimist that Elsa adored, but there were times that the old doubts seeped back in and she felt the need to denigrate herself. Those were the times that Elsa felt the need to seek out everyone who had been mean to Anna and freeze off something meaningful.

Anna felt the nascent chill emanating from Elsa and knew instantly she had phrased her idea poorly. Elsa really, really did not like it when Anna was too self-effacing, and Anna had basically just made herself out to be nothing. Anna looked at Elsa's face and the icy mask was in place, confirming that, yes, Elsa was really pissed off, so yes, she had managed to say what she thought the wrong way. Anna thought about apologizing, but she knew that would worsen the situation, so she went for actions instead of words. She leaned over and passionately kissed Elsa, relieved when the chill melted instantly and she could feel Elsa's body relax. Anna drew away slowly and locked Elsa's sapphire eyes with her own. "I didn't mean to say that I'm not worth it," she assured Elsa, and the still-present frown started to relax. "And I do want to go with you more than anything, but I think it will be better if we follow Leader's plan."

"It's a good plan," Elsa admitted reluctantly. "But I don't want to be away from you." She sighed and looked down. "I can't protect you if we're apart," she said quietly.

Anna smiled gently. "I know, love," she soothed. "But if we are really a part of this Rebellion then we need to help. And if we are going to help, then we can't hide in this cottage forever. We need to get out there, even if it means we are separated for a bit. You'll just have to trust the Rebellion to protect me."

Elsa sighed again. Anna was right, of course, but Elsa would have been perfectly content to hide out here forever. "Okay. We'll do it," she agreed, "but we're not leaving until the day after our anniversary. We are _not_ spending our first anniversary apart."

"Agreed," Anna said, her smile widening. "Should we record our message to Leader?"

"I guess," Elsa responded unenthusiastically.

"Wow, with that kind of fire I can see why you are the face of the Rebellion," Anna joked.

"I'm the _Ice_ Queen, Apprentice," Elsa shot back, a smile playing on her lips at their familiar teasing.

"Of course, Master," Anna said with her impish grin. She gave Elsa a quick kiss before setting up the tablet and within minutes they had the return message composed and recorded. A quick message to Elinor informed her that their reply was ready and she came to pick it up within in the hour. After she left, Elsa turned to Anna. "Well, I guess that's done," she stated. "Now what?"

"Now we pretend we never got that message and we enjoy the rest of our day," Anna decided with her usual cheerfulness. "I think you should go back to your happy, secret-keeping self, and I plan to wheedle and annoy you into telling me what you are hiding."

Elsa chuckled. "I think that is an excellent idea," she agreed.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

The week passed far more quickly than either one of them wanted and soon their anniversary was upon them. Elinor had been assisting them both in gathering all of the food, clothing and ambience that each wanted to make the day as special as it could be. Luckily, they had similar tastes in many things, and they knew each other well enough to hypothesize what the other might be planning, so there was little overlap as they planned the day together. Elsa had been given dominion over the food; Anna still couldn't cook very well and she loved Elsa's cooking anyway. Anna, on the other hand, was in charge of esthetics. Elsa was good at design; she had been an Architect for the Pillars' sake, but even she had to admit Anna was better, so Anna was handling decorations. Clothing was the only thing they didn't consult each other on as both wanted what they were wearing to be a surprise.

The morning of their anniversary dawned, and Elsa stirred with it. It was her usual time to get up, but today she had no plans to leave the cottage; today, she had to get up to start cooking. She unwrapped herself from Anna to get up, only to have deceptively-strong arms haul her back into a warm embrace as she tried to sit up. "You're not going anywhere, love," Anna mumbled sleepily, throwing the covers back over them both and snuggling into Elsa's chest.

"But I was going to make you breakfast," Elsa protested.

"I want to snuggle with you a lot more than I want food," Anna countered drowsily. "And you can't say no. It's our anniversary."

"I can't say no to you regardless of the day," Elsa reminded her with a gentle kiss to the forehead, and Anna chuckled.

"I know," she murmured softly with a self-satisfied smirk. Elsa smiled and wrapped her arms around Anna. They held each other and after a few minutes, Anna's breathing evened out as she fell back asleep. Elsa thought about making a break for the kitchen, but she soon decided that Anna's happiness was far more important than her meticulously-planned schedule and followed Anna back into sleep.

When they awoke sometime later, the delicious smell of coffee, baked goods and some sort of frying meat drifted in from the kitchen. Anna fixed Elsa with a glare, but Elsa shook her head. "I've been here with you asleep the entire time," she promised. They both looked at each other and shrugged, hopping out of bed and slipping into some clothes in case their mystery chef was still there. The kitchen was empty, however; there was nothing but a beautifully set table and a few plates of steaming food to greet them.

"Elinor?"Anna guessed.

"That would be my thought," Elsa answered. "She would be the only one I would think could use the panel." She glanced around and spied a note that stood propped up on the table. She went over to grab it, bringing it back over to Anna.

"Happy Anniversary, lasses!" it read. "I was very pleased to see that you were still in bed when I came by to check on you this morning. It meant that Anna's plan to keep the Lass in bed longer worked. I knew you would still be wanting your breakfast though, so I made you some. I think I've delivered everything that I need to for today, so I'll wish you both a good day and I'll see you tomorrow. Late tomorrow afternoon, probably, depending on how your evening goes."

Elsa blushed at the implicit wink and smirk that followed that last statement. Anna, who had been reading over her shoulder, giggled at the adorable blush; the woman could stone-facedly tell two Patricians that she had been having sex with her Apprentice the night before, but she blushed when a good friend implied it in a note. Anna kissed Elsa's reddening cheek before they both made their way to the table and sat down to breakfast.

They talked as they ate, each of them trying to get the other to spill her secrets about what she was planning for the rest of day. Both of them steadfastly avoided talking about tomorrow; today was the last day they were going to see each other for at least a month, and neither of them wanted to be reminded of it. Eventually the coffee and food ran out and Marshmallow started acting up because he wanted to go outside, so they reluctantly ended their conversation to clean up and throw on some heavier clothes to take him outside.

Elsa and Anna opened the outer door and Marshmallow bounded out, happy to be out in the woods after the night spent cooped up inside the cottage. Anna grabbed Elsa's hand and they walked along behind him, watching him climb trees as they took in the beauty of the fading spring and approaching summer. "Do you think he'll miss us?" Elsa asked as he disappeared up another tree.

"He'll miss _you_," Anna replied. "Olaf might like me more, but you've always been Marshmallow's favorite."

"He likes you too," Elsa disagreed. "You're the one he cuddles up to at night."

"That's because I give off more heat," Anna replied with a smile. She looked at the adolescent lynx and turned pensive. "Do you think he'll be okay out here on his own?" she asked.

"He's about the right age to be on his own," Elsa answered. "So he'll be okay. And unfortunately, it's the only choice we have. Elinor doesn't have the room for him and neither one of us can take him. I just hope we haven't domesticated him too much."

They heard a growl as Marshmallow went tearing off after something. Anna chuckled. "He still seems pretty wild to me," she pointed out.

"Until darkness falls and he's scratching at the front door," Elsa said wryly. Anna laughed and Elsa tugged on her hand, pulling her into an embrace that Anna snuggled into. Elsa smiled, but there was melancholy behind it as Elsa let herself realize the truth that they had been steadfastly avoiding: their sacred time by themselves in the woods was ending. With Anna in her arms and happy, Elsa now mourned its imminent loss. She would miss moments like these.

Anna gave Elsa a squeeze and let her go briefly before recapturing her hand. They continued to stroll through the woods until they circled their way back to the cottage's outer door. "And here is where I leave you," Anna announced cheerfully. "I have stuff to do and so do you, so I'll see you in a couple of hours."

"Yes, Master," Elsa responded with a smirk. Anna shook her head but let it go, giving Elsa one last kiss before heading off into the garden to start decorating.

They both worked steadily and within about two hours, Anna had the garden decorated exactly as she wanted it. She wished there had been more vegetation, but her plans to make this a real garden had been put on hold pending their departure. Anna sighed, thinking about them leaving. A part of her was excited; she was going to be back out there in the world, meeting new people. She loved Elsa and the cottage, but a part of her needed to be around people and they had been alone for a while. On the other hand, she was sad. She hated the thought of being away from Elsa, especially when Elsa might not come back. If they stayed in the woods, they would be safer. Anna sighed again and then roused herself. Today was not the day to be sad. Today was for asking the woman of her dreams to marry her. She smiled at that thought and left the garden to go inside the cottage.

Elsa stirred the veg in the Dutch oven, giving them time to soften before she added her flour to make her rue. She was making Anna the same dinner she had made them for Anna's Initiation, along with a chocolate cake and a few other surprises that were already hidden away. The inner door panel sliding open announced Anna's entrance, and her Apprentice instantly stuck her nose in the air and breathed deeply. "I am the luckiest woman in the State," she announced.

"There are much better cooks than I am," Elsa said dryly, appreciating the comment even as she teased Anna about it.

"Maybe," Anna replied, coming into the kitchen. "I would love to get you and Voodoo Queen in the same kitchen though; it could be magical."

"Or it could be a disaster," Elsa observed. "Now quit being nosy and go get ready. Dinner is in an hour or so."

"I'm not being nosy," Anna disagreed, coming closer as an impetuous idea popped into her head. "I am taking an active interest in what you are doing."

Elsa sighed and turned around, startled when Anna was right behind her. She looked at Anna quizzically, but Anna just smiled and suddenly kissed her. It wasn't a sweet, romantic kiss like the ones they had been sharing all day; no, this kiss was lustful and greedy and left no mystery as to Anna's intentions. Elsa reciprocated immediately and within short order it was Anna who was left gasping. "But I was supposed to be seducing you," she protested as she was lifted onto one of the kitchen counters.

Elsa laughed, low and throaty, and Anna shivered. "I'm not seducing you, Apprentice," Elsa stated, even as her hand slipped between Anna's thighs and began to stroke Anna over her pants. "I'm teasing you. That means I'm going to leave you wanting." She gave Anna one last searing kiss before removing her hand and returning to her cooking.

Anna stared at her, trying to decide if she was angry or disappointed or even more aroused. She hopped off the counter and went over to Elsa, sliding her arms around the other woman. "I can't decide what to think about what you just did," she said honestly. "But, I will have ever so much fun exacting my revenge." Anna kissed the back of Elsa's neck one last time before letting her go and sauntering off towards their bedroom. Elsa turned to watch her go and it was only the thought of their dinner burning and ruining her plans that barely managed to keep her in the kitchen. A chilling blast of ice through her system got her hormones under control, and Elsa continued to work. She put the Dutch oven in the oven and set the timer, which now meant it was time for her to get ready. She went to one of the unused bedrooms on the other side where she had stashed her stuff and began to get ready.

About half an hour later, Elsa, now freshly washed and dressed and hiding a ring in her pocket, grasped the Dutch oven with the potholders and took it out of the oven. "Can I help you with anything?" a sweet voice inquired and Elsa looked toward their bedroom to see a vision in a form-fitting aquamarine dress with a flared skirt that came to rest right at the knee. Elsa's mouth went dry as her eyes swept over Anna and took in the skin, curves and legs that the dress accentuated so perfectly. Anna's hair was down, which was another feature that made Elsa weak in the knees, and Elsa found herself temporarily unable to formulate a response.

Anna smiled at the reaction. She knew this was the perfect dress the moment she had seen it on the tablet and she had been right. She watched as Elsa came back to herself and put their dinner on the counter, and it was her turn to stare when Elsa fully turned her way and she saw what Elsa was wearing. Elsa had chosen a black suit and it had been tailored perfectly to her gorgeous figure. The dark material contrasted beautifully with her pale skin, and the deep purple dress shirt she had chosen to go underneath set off her blue eyes. The dress shirt had just enough buttons undone to show creamy white skin and the swell of breasts, and Anna had to shut her mouth before she started drooling.

Elsa felt better about her own immediate, libidinous response now that Anna was staring at her as lustfully as she had been staring at Anna. She smirked at Anna's expression and adjusted her grip on the Dutch oven. "You could bring the wine and the salad if you have a free hand," she finally said, and her voice seemed to snap Anna back to reality.

"Um, of course," Anna stuttered, moving into the kitchen. She made no move towards the items on the counter, though; instead, she moved closer to Elsa, smoothing the lapels of Elsa's jacket and brushing her matching purple pocket square with an exploratory hand. "Have I ever mentioned how good you look in a suit?" Anna asked, moving her hand down to Elsa's hip.

"No, you've never verbalized it," Elsa answered with a smirk. "But, I caught you staring enough times in the office that I figured this would be an acceptable choice."

"And here I thought I was being subtle," Anna replied with her own smile before moving away from Elsa and grabbing the wine and salad off the counter.

Elsa smiled back and turned to lead the way out of the kitchen. The inner door panel slid open and they circled around to the outer door. Once outside, Anna took the lead, guiding Elsa to the spot she had created in the garden. When she saw it, Elsa's eyes widened, taking in all of the beauty. Flowers were everywhere, along with twinkling lights and electronic candles that were just starting to become visible under the fading sunlight. "This is beautiful, Anna," Elsa said reverently as she placed the Dutch oven on the trivet situated on the gorgeous table.

Anna beamed, happy that Elsa loved it. "Thank you, love," she said, kissing Elsa before setting down the wine and salad. Elsa smiled and pulled out her chair with a small bow, causing Anna to blush just a little from the chivalrous gesture as she sat down. Elsa sat as well and reached for the salad, passing it to Anna.

Neither one had eaten since breakfast, so they both tucked into the food with enthusiasm. The salad completely disappeared within minutes and the main course soon followed. The wine was sipped, however, as neither Elsa or Anna wanted the alcohol to distract them. As the dinner progressed, an odd excited tension started to form as the critical moment they had both been thinking about for weeks grew ever nearer.

Elsa excused herself to retrieve dessert, trying to calm herself as she walked back to the cottage. Her anxiety annoyed her; she had no doubts that Anna was going to say yes, but she wanted the moment to be perfect and her perfectionism was driving her insane at the moment. She took a short breath and gathered up what she came for, eager to return to Anna.

Anna fidgeted excitedly at the table, waiting for Elsa to come back. She had liberated her ring from its hiding place in the garden and now it lay nestled in a hidden pocket of Anna's dress, just waiting to be put on Elsa's finger. Anna knew Elsa was going to say yes, so the anticipation of asking her was growing with each passing second. Just as Anna was about ready to hop up from the table and go looking for her, Elsa came around the corner holding an exquisite cake and a tray of other confections.

Elsa set the cake down on a small side table, but kept the tray of chocolate-dipped wonders to offer one to Anna. Anna eagerly chose something that looked like a chocolate-dipped marshmallow, but when she bit into it, she realized it was a white and dark chocolate covered banana. "Um, wow," she mumbled around her mouthful. "This is one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted."

Elsa smiled. "I'm glad you like it," she said sincerely, before setting down the tray and offering her hand to Anna. "Dance with me?" she requested with a hopeful look in her sapphire eyes.

Anna hastily swallowed, nearly choking on the banana in her surprise. Elsa had never asked her to dance; in fact, she hadn't known Elsa _could_ dance. Anna took the slightly-trembling hand being held out to her, and Elsa gently pulled her up and away from the table, leading Anna to a spot where they could move without bumping into anything. Elsa's arm went around Anna's waist to lead and Anna waited for whatever music they would be dancing to, only to be surprised again when Elsa started to sing.

Elsa tried to keep her voice steady even as Anna's loving, enchanted expression threatened to undo her composure. Elsa loved music but didn't consider singing to be one of her talents, so it was rare for her to sing with anyone else around. Anna had caught her singing along with the tablet one day though, and from that day on, she was constantly trying to get Elsa to sing. Elsa managed to resist most of the time, thinking her voice to be inferior, but tonight was about Anna, so Elsa was singing just for her.

Anna couldn't help the dazzling smile that spread across her face as they began to move around the garden. Elsa had an exquisite singing voice and Anna loved it. But Elsa didn't sing often, and usually Anna had to catch snippets from the shower or from when Elsa was singing along to something else. Now, however, Elsa was singing to her and her alone while they danced, and Anna was treasuring every second.

The song came to an end, and Elsa drew back slightly, preparing for the moment she had planned for so carefully. She removed her hand from Anna's waist, but kept her other hand gently clasping Anna's. Before Anna could move or comment, Elsa dropped to one knee. "My dearest Anna, love of my life, will you do me the very great honor of marrying me?" she asked simply.

Anna smiled, looking down at Elsa with all the love she felt for the other woman. She kissed the hand that was holding her own and gave her answer. "No," she said.

Elsa blinked, thinking she had heard wrong. "Wait…what?" she asked, perplexed.

"I said 'no'," Anna repeated, but the loving smile was still on her face and her eyes were sparkling with mischief.

"Um, why?" Elsa questioned, still mystified.

"Because I told you _I_ was going to be the one proposing," Anna answered decisively. "I called dibs on it first." Still kneeling on the ground, Elsa's forehead furrowed as she thought, but then she remembered what conversation Anna was referring to. She smiled as she realized Anna was right and Anna smiled back, tugging on the hand she was holding to pull Elsa up. Anna wrapped her arms around Elsa's waist and drew her in closer. "Elsa of Arendelle, my best friend and lover, most amazing person in the State, will you please become my Extraordinary wife?" Anna proposed, her smile loving, teasing and radiant all at once.

"I would be honored," Elsa replied with a smile, reaching over and kissing her Anna deeply.

The kiss ended slowly, and as they parted, Anna reached into her hidden pocket. She drew out the aquamarine and diamond ring and slid it on to Elsa's left-hand ring finger, celebrating silently when it fit perfectly and waiting expectantly to see what Elsa would think of it. Elsa brought her hand up to one of the electronic candles to get a good look at her engagement ring. She stared at and she started to laugh. "What is it?" Anna asked, curious.

"I think I've been had," Elsa said, suspiciously amused. "Where did you get this ring?"

"A jeweler in town," Anna answered, her curiosity piqued even more. "I designed it myself and he was nice enough to make it for me for a fair price."

"You designed it; no wonder I loved it so much," Elsa said, shaking her head wryly. Anna was still looking at her quizzically, so she reached into the inner breast pocket of her suit jacket, pulling out the diamond and sapphire ring. She compared it to her own briefly, chuckled again and then put it lovingly on Anna's left-hand ring finger.

Anna got a good look at it and now she knew what Elsa had found so amusing. "And just where did you get this one?" she asked in amusement

"Elinor brought me a selection from a jeweler in town. She seemed very amused and happy that I picked this one and she wouldn't let me pay for it," Elsa explained.

"She wouldn't let me pay for yours either," Anna admitted. "Geppetto made it in exchange for one of my paintings. I had no idea he was making this one, though."

"I am glad he did because it's beautiful, and it means so much more now that I know you were the designer. I especially love that it matches the one you had made for me," Elsa told her. "I can't believe how much that the two of them did for us. I will need to meet this Geppetto and thank him personally."

Anna smiled, happy that Elsa liked her ring and even happier that hers was part of a matching set. She kissed the ring on Elsa's finger and then kissed Elsa herself, focusing all of her happiness and love into that kiss.

Elsa responded by pulling her closer, and the kiss deepened without much thought on either of their parts. The flirting and teasing that had been happening all day, the dress and the suit that had gotten both of them worked up, and the joy at asking one another to marry all crystalized into a rampant desire that neither one could control. Their kisses became more frantic and they forgot about everything but each other. The food, the dishes and the decorations were all ignored as they stumbled back to the cottage, and even Marshmallow was barely acknowledged as he waited patiently at the outer door for them to let him in.

They broke apart long enough to open the outer door and go inside, but even as Elsa made sure it was closed and locked, Anna was unbuttoning her suit coat and pulling her dress shirt from her pants. Elsa lost her jacket entirely somewhere in the outer hall, and as they somehow managed to get a hand on the panel and get the inner door open, Anna's aquamarine dress ended up on the tile in the foyer. Elsa's shirt was next with Anna's slip following soon thereafter, and Elsa's pants and boots were hastily discarded in the living room. By the time they made it to their bedroom, the only clothes either of them had left on were her bra and panties.

That was far too much clothing in Elsa's opinion, so she made short work of Anna's aquamarine set by using ice to obliterate them as she laid Anna down on their bed. Now clad only in her always-present crystal sphere necklace and her new engagement ring, Anna looked up at Elsa expectantly and after shedding her own purple underwear via ice, Elsa joined her on the bed.

Elsa captured Anna's lips in a kiss as her hands wandered, caressing all of the spots that she loved to touch and that she knew drove Anna insane. Anna whimpered and arched underneath her, and Elsa smirked as her mouth left Anna's to taste the rest of her Intended's body. Anna gasped as that mouth moved lower, and the redhead had no doubts as to where that mouth would end up. Elsa's first taste of her had been in the shower with the IRB in the living room, and from that moment on, Elsa simply could not get enough. Anna whimpered again as Elsa's mouth found its mark, and hearing that beloved whimper, Elsa smirked briefly before losing herself in the repast before her.

Anna's fingers tangled in Elsa's braided hair as she lost herself in the caress of Elsa's tongue, her hips moving in time to Elsa's rhythm. Her cries got louder and Elsa maintained her steady pace, encouraging Anna to lose control and go over the edge. Anna tried to hold out, tried to make the exquisite pleasure she was feeling last, but ultimately her body betrayed her and she came, crying out as her back rose up off the mattress.

As Anna relaxed and her trembling body eased itself back down, Elsa gently removed her mouth and kissed her way back up Anna's slightly-shivering body. When they were face-to-face, Elsa reached down to kiss Anna's lips and Anna eagerly kissed back. Without warning, Anna flipped them over, settling Elsa on the pillows and laying down beside her as her fingertips began to trace cool, pale skin. Anna's face grew thoughtful and almost sad as her breathing slowed and she continued to trace, and Elsa grew concerned. "What is it, Apprentice?" she asked worriedly.

"I don't want to lose you to this Rebellion," Anna said sadly, not looking at Elsa but still tracing.

"I can protect myself; it's very hard to kill me," Elsa assured her, not sure of where all of this was coming from.

"It's not that," Anna said, shaking her head. "I know you can protect yourself. But that's not what I'm afraid of." She looked up at Elsa and Elsa saw a steely determination in those blue-green eyes that she had never seen before. "Promise me that you're mine, Elsa," Anna demanded.

"Of course I'm yours," Elsa responded instantly, still perplexed. "I've just asked you to marry me, Anna; I'm yours for the rest of our lives. Do you really think I would give myself to someone else just because we're apart?"

Anna heard the outrage of the last question and she knew she had to explain herself better. Elsa wasn't understanding at all. "No, I know you are mine in that way, Elsa. Even if you did get lonely and sleep with someone else, I know that you would come back to me," Anna stated. Elsa's mouth dropped open and Anna knew she had dug herself deeper. "Not that I want you to have sex with someone else," she said hastily. "I would be bitterly disappointed and homicidally jealous. But, I would still love you and I would still want to marry you. This isn't about sex, Elsa."

"Then what's it about?" Elsa prompted gently, now really confused but wanting to understand.

Anna took a deep breath and looked Elsa deeply in the eyes. "I don't want to lose my Elsa to the Ice Queen," she stated, tears starting to form in her eyes. "I want my playful, loving Elsa back when all of this is over, and I want you to promise you belong to me so that if there ever comes a time where you have to make a decision between Elsa and the Ice Queen, you will _always_ choose Elsa."

Tears started sliding down Anna's cheeks, and Elsa at last understood. Anna was asking Elsa not to let her rage control her like it had when she had nearly killed the Patricians. Anna had saved her then, calling out just in time to prevent her from making a terrible mistake that would have changed her forever. Knowing that Elsa would be facing life-or-death situations, Anna was wisely afraid it would happen again, and she was asking Elsa to choose her humanity over her rage for Anna's sake.

Elsa reached out to wipe the tears from Anna's cheeks and kissed her face gently. "I am yours, and only yours, my beautiful, beautiful Anna," she promised. "And I will do everything I possibly can to make sure I come back to you as Elsa." Anna's worried frown dissolved, and she kissed Elsa with a relieved passion that Elsa could feel. "But," Elsa murmured as they drew apart, "I am not nearly as magnanimous as you, so if I hear that anyone even tries to have you while we are apart, I will hunt them down, freeze off whatever part dared to touch you and shatter it into a million pieces."

Anna started giggling uncontrollably even though she was pretty sure Elsa wasn't joking. Elsa_ wasn't_ joking, but she was so relieved to hear Anna's giggles that she laughed herself. The giggles wound down slowly and Anna started tracing Elsa's skin again. She looked at Elsa and Elsa saw that the fierce determination was back, this time mixed with desire. "You've promised to remember that you're mine," Anna said, her voice so low that it was almost a growl. "Now I am going to make sure that you never forget." Elsa could do little but swallow nervously as Anna's smile became almost predatory.

"Mine, all mine," Anna breathed against her neck and Elsa tensed as a sharp nip followed. Anna's mouth and hands started to take over then, and Elsa found herself surrendering. Anna was not usually this forceful, but tonight she was laying claim to every part of Elsa's body. She was demanding everything, and Elsa let her have everything, giving herself over to Anna in a way that she hadn't before, even on their first night together. Their bodies were moving as one, hips undulating and mouths gasping, and just when Elsa thought she had yielded everything she had, Anna still demanded more of her. Lost in everything, Elsa could do little more than gasp for air as her ecstasy climbed higher, and at last she climaxed with Anna not far behind.

Anna collapsed on top of Elsa, panting as they exhaustedly reached for each other and the covers. They fell asleep almost immediately, so it wasn't until the morning that Elsa saw something that nearly made her heart stop. She reached out to touch it, but Anna chose that moment to wake and her hand didn't reach its destination. "Morning, love," Anna said happily, reaching over to kiss Elsa before realizing the peculiar look on Elsa's face that was directed at her hair. She reached up and felt, and like usual, her hair was tangled and going in a million different directions. "What?" she asked. "Does it look worse than usual?"

"It's not that," Elsa choked out, trying to find her voice and trying to keep her panic from chilling the bed. "There's a white stripe in your hair. That means I accidentally froze some part of you somehow."

Anna's eyes widened and she jumped out of bed to look at herself in the mirror. Sure enough, a swath of her hair on the right side had turned completely white from the root to the tip. "But I don't feel like any part of me is frozen," she said, after a moment's introspection. "I feel perfectly normal. I definitely didn't feel that way the last time you froze me."

"I must not have frozen your heart," Elsa hypothesized, as Anna came over and got back into bed. "And I didn't freeze your head because you are up and talking."

"I don't see how you could have frozen anything," Anna protested. "I never felt anything cold last night, ever, and there was way too much love."

Elsa sighed. She closed her eyes, using her powers to search for any snow or ice that might be in the bedroom. She couldn't find any, so she concentrated more, pulling Anna closer so she could focus on her. Finally, Elsa gave up. Her powers couldn't detect ice or snow anywhere in Anna's body, even though instinct told Elsa that there had to be ice in there somewhere. "Maybe I just froze your hair," she suggested reluctantly.

"Probably," Anna answered, cheerfully unconcerned. "Your jealous side probably did it as a way to tell everyone I'm yours," she decided.

"Maybe," Elsa allowed. She glanced at the clock, jumping out of bed when she saw the time. "Shit! Elinor and our transports are going to be here soon," she cursed, throwing on some clothes.

"We're already packed and they don't get here until sundown," Anna said unconcernedly.

"We still need to clean up from last night," Elsa reminded her.

"We still have plenty of time," Anna countered. "Relax, love. I don't want to spend our last day together with you as a big old stressball."

Elsa sighed. "Ok," she agreed. Anna nodded and they got to work, going out into the garden to retrieve and put everything away. Once the garden was back to normal, they came inside and cleaned up the cottage, doing little things like gathering up scattered items of passion-strewn clothing, changing the sheets and cleaning out the refrigerator. Finally they showered and dressed and Anna got to sigh in appreciation once again at the beauty of the Ice Queen uniform. Elsa smirked as she threw her cloak over it. A little while later, a polite knock sounded at the door, and Elsa answered it to find Elinor on the other side.

"Time to go, lasses," she said, with a slight sadness in her eyes.

Elsa nodded and she and Anna gathered up their things. Anna picked up and then handed the black leather pet carrier to Elinor. "Take care of him," she requested and she scratched Olaf's chin through the grate.

"As if he were my own wee beast," Elinor assured her.

Anna smiled. She and Elsa grabbed their satchels and small suitcases and Elsa whistled for Marshmallow as all five of them left the cottage. They took the path down to the creek and at the creek waited a small hovercraft and a big, black dragon. "Mulan!" Anna said excitedly and went over to give her a hug.

"Nice to see you again, Ginger," the dragon said affectionately.

"The dragon is for the lass, since she is going back to Campus," Elinor explained, and Elsa and Anna had figured as much. "The lass can leave her things with me and they will be waiting for her when she gets there. You, Anna, are traveling with these nice gentlemen," she said, indicating the two men standing by the craft. She put Olaf down briefly and enveloped Anna in a hug. "It has been a joy and an honor to have you lasses these past months. Come back to us soon, Anna," she said, squeezing tight.

"As soon as we can, Mama-Bear," Anna promised, hugging her back. Elinor gave her a final squeeze and let go, holding out her hand to Elsa.

"Goodbye lass," she said simply, knowing Elsa probably wouldn't want a hug. Elsa smiled and took it before pulling the older woman into a hug.

"Goodbye, Elinor," she said. "Thank you so much for everything." Elinor hugged her tightly and then let go, smiling at them both before picking up Olaf and Elsa's things and heading back into the woods.

After she had gone, Elsa and Anna looked at the lynx that was still at their feet. He looked at them, and Elsa knelt down. "You have to be a real wildcat now, Marshmallow," she told him, stroking his head. "We'll see you when we get back." She rose and Anna could tell her usually-emotionless Ice Queen was fighting back tears. That made her decision easy.

She whistled just like Elsa usually did and walked in the direction of the open hovercraft. "Marshmallow, come," she said, and the well-trained lynx followed her. She walked up the gangplank and into the craft and the cat still obediently followed her. "Good boy," she praised him. "Now stay." She walked back outside, but Marshmallow stayed put like he was told.

"I can't leave him here," Anna explained at Elsa's questioning look. "I'm sure we can find some place to hide him."

"Thank you," Elsa said, relieved that her beloved lynx would be going with her beloved Apprentice.

Anna and Elsa looked at one another for several long moments, neither one of them wanting to start the process of saying goodbye. Finally it was Elsa who took the responsibility on her shoulders. She gathered Anna into her arms and kissed her gently. "I will see you as soon as I possibly can," she swore as their lips came apart. "You are my one and only reason for living and fighting. I love you and I will come back to you, Anna."

"I know you will," Anna said, stroking her cheek. "Please just remember what you've promised me." Elsa nodded and Anna kissed her cheek. "Goodbye, love," she said at last. "I love you so much." They kissed once more, but finally broke apart. Elsa climbed up on Mulan's broad back and they took off. Elsa waved once more before Mulan flew higher and they disappeared.

Anna sighed and turned toward the hovercraft. "It'll be all right, cher," the shorter red-haired man said sympathetically.

Anna smiled at him and held out her hand. "I'm Anna," she said.

The man took it and laughed, showing he was missing a few teeth. "We know who you are, cher," he said in amusement. "My name Raymond, but everyone calls me Ray. This here is Louis," he said, indicating the much bigger darker-skinned man beside him. The very large man offered his hand and Anna shook it warmly. "Now, cher, we best be getting out of here," Ray said gently. Anna sighed and took one last look around before she boarded the craft and sat down in a seat that Marshmallow came to lay by. Ray and Louis came in behind her and the gangplank came up. The door closed as Ray and Louis took their seats and with little fanfare, the hovercraft took to the skies.


	3. Down in Old New Orleans

A/N: Just wanted to say thank to everyone for reading and please let me know what you think. :)

Chapter 3 – Down in Old New Orleans

The hovercraft rose into the still night, and Anna did her best not to think too much about Elsa and how much she was going to miss her beautiful Intended over these next few weeks. Anna's eye caught her new ring and she smiled, her natural optimism returning. Elsa would come back to her and they would have their happily-ever-after, she told herself firmly. "So what do you two gentleman do?" she asked as a way to get the conversation started.

"Well, cher, we work for Eli LaBouff," Ray said. "But no one 'round New Orleans ever call him 'Eli'. He pretty well known as 'Big Daddy' LaBouff."

"I know," Anna said cheerfully. "I've heard a lot about him from his daughter."

"Which one?" Louis joked, his rich voice filling the cabin for the first time as he turned around to face their guest. "Both Miss Lottie and Miss Tiana have him completely wrapped around their dainty little fingers."

"Um, I'm not sure," Anna admitted. "I'm only used to their code names and formal designations. But based on what I've overheard, I think it would be Lottie," she decided.

"Short, blonde, perky, talks a-mile-a-minute?" Ray questioned.

"Yes," Anna confirmed with a grin.

"Then yes, that's our Miss Charlotte," Louis answered with a booming laugh.

Anna laughed in return, feeling better now that she was talking and making new friends. "What does Big Daddy do?" she asked.

"Well, officially, he into cotton and sugar," Ray said. "But unofficially, he the biggest black market goods dealer north, south, east _and_ west of the mighty Mississippi."

"What kind of goods?" Anna inquired, curious.

"Every kind, cher," Ray answered. "You name it: guns, ammunition, drugs, technology; even common things like certain books and food items that the State don't seem to want us common Proletariat folk to have."

"So he's a smuggler," Anna summarized.

Louis laughed. "Entrepreneur, honey, entrepreneur," he corrected with a wink. "One of the finest New Orleans has ever seen."

Anna laughed with him, hoping that most people she was going to meet were going to be this friendly. "So why do you guys work for him?" she asked.

"We weren't planning on it," Louis admitted. "But then Tiana found us swamp rats out in the bayou and completely charmed us, and the next thing both of us knew, we were working for her and her momma Eudora. Since there ain't much difference or distance between the Winfrey and LaBouff families, we also ended up working for Big Daddy. Now we go fetch and deliver things."

"Like?" Anna prompted.

"We call them bales of cotton," Ray answered. "But usually, it's people that need to do some disappearing or relocating. Kinda like you, cher. Or, like those nice people from Arendelle we picked up a few months back."

Anna's eyes widened. She had been so focused on saying goodbye to Elsa that she had completely forgotten she would be meeting Elsa's parents. Louis noticed her look of trepidation and laughed. "First time meeting the in-laws, honey?" he questioned in amusement.

"Um, in person, yeah," Anna replied anxiously.

"Don't worry about it, cher," Ray assured her. "They been living at the compound for a while now and they lovely people. They can't wait to meet you."

"I really want to meet them too," Anna said honestly. "I just always figured I would be meeting them with Elsa, not by myself."

"Elsa? So that's the Ice Queen's real name?" Louis asked, interested.

"Yes," Anna replied, puzzled at the questioning tone until she remembered how few people Elsa had ever told her real name to. Synni and Alfred had to know it, of course, but apparently they weren't in the habit of using it around other people. "I'm really the only one who calls her that, though," she admitted.

"Everyone else would be too terrified or awed to dare call her by her given name," Louis pointed out with a teasing grin.

"But everyone else don't include our Miss Anna," Ray said slyly. "Feisty enough to give herself her own name, charming enough to make an Ice Queen fall in love with her, brave enough to face the firing squad in front of the entire State and compassionate enough to spare unworthy lives. Ain't anyone like our Miss Anna."

Anna blushed, embarrassed by the praise. "Elsa is the amazing one. I'm just Anna," she disagreed.

"Don't sell yourself short, honey," Louis said. "The Ice Queen _is_ pretty magnificent in a lot of ways, but you are your own kind of extraordinary. And that's why she loves you. Hell, that's why most of the Proletariat loves you."

Anna blushed deeper, and Ray took pity on her. "Leave the child be, Louis," he ordered good-naturedly. "Listen, cher, we got about four hours of flying time if you would like to rest a bit," he told Anna. "That chair you in reclines all the way back and it's pretty comfortable. Not saying you have to sleep, but I would reckon it's been a long day for you."

"It has," Anna admitted, her tiredness catching up with her now that Ray had mentioned it. "But I don't want to be rude to you gentlemen."

"Please, honey," Louis said. "It would be ruder of us to keep you awake when you are tired. Lie down and I'll get you a blanket and pillow."

Anna searched the chair briefly before finding the recline button, and when she pushed it, the chair back eased down until she was lying flat. She turned on her side to make some space and then patted it. "Marshmallow, come here, sweetie," she requested, and the lynx didn't have to be asked twice. He jumped up and settled down beside her as Louis handed her a pillow. Anna tucked it under her head and Louis covered her and the wildcat who was warily watching him with the blanket. Anna snuggled into Marshmallow's soft fur and within minutes she was asleep. Louis smiled at her and went back to his seat to help Ray with the rest of the flight.

The rest of the flight was uneventful, and after skillfully lying their way through the Enforcer checkpoint as usual, Ray and Lewis maneuvered the hovercraft towards Big Daddy's ostentatious compound on the edge of Old New Orleans. Big Daddy was filthy rich, and the LaBouffs had been for generations, so he wasn't shy about showing off his money. The fact that he was a black market smuggler who was should have been hiding his business from the prying eyes of the State was only a motivation for making an even bigger statement. Big Daddy always said the State couldn't hear what was being whispered if there was someone shouting nearby.

"Anna, honey, we're here," Lewis called softly, and Anna stirred quickly from her fitful sleep. Even with Marshmallow's warm presence, the lack of Elsa made Anna's slumber less restful than it could have been. Anna sat up and stretched, pushing the button so that the chair back came up. Marshmallow came up with it and he jumped off the chair back on to the floor.

"Hold on, cher," Ray said. "I'ma bringing her down."

"Okay," Anna answered as she tried to steady her nerves and reign in her excitement. The landing wasn't the issue; the issue was that she would be meeting new people, Elsa's parents among them. She bounced a bit in her seat and nearly jumped out of it when she felt the hovercraft hit the ground. The engine powered down and the door opened and after Ray and Lewis had unbuckled themselves, she and Marshmallow followed them down the gangplank.

At the bottom of the gangplank waited an older woman, and it was very obvious that this was Voodoo Queen's –no, _Tiana's_- mother. She had the same eyes and smile, and when the smile widened upon seeing Anna, the same dimple emerged. "Welcome to Old New Orleans," she said, her smile warm and genuine as she extended her hand. "My name is Eudora Winfrey and I am so very delighted and honored to make your acquaintance."

Anna's tension melted and her face widened into its own sunny smile as she took the proffered hand. "I'm Anna," she said cheerfully. "It's very nice to meet you, too. And, please don't think I'm rude, but you have to be Tiana's mom, right?"

Eudora laughed. This girl was an effortless charmer; there was no doubt about that. "That I am, sugar," she said with the same drawl to her words that Anna was used to hearing from Voodoo Queen and Debutante. No, not Voodoo Queen and Debutante; they were Tiana and Lottie, Anna silently corrected herself. Eudora spoke again, snapping Anna's attention back to her and away from Anna's slightly-racing thoughts. "And who is the pretty, um, kitty?" Eudora asked, indicating the lynx who sat at Anna's feet.

"Um, he's Marshmallow, and I'm sorry that I couldn't give anyone any warning that I was bringing him, but it was breaking Elsa's heart to leave him alone in the woods because he's really her kitty and she couldn't take him back to Campus so I thought I would bring him here," Anna said in a rush. "He's really a sweetie, and I promise he won't be much trouble, and I'll try to keep him out of the way as much as possible."

"If he belongs to you and the Ice Queen and he means that much to you both, I wouldn't dream of turning him away," Eudora assured Anna. "Now calm down, sugar. Like I've told Lottie on innumerable occasions, don't use all of your words up at once," she teased.

"I'm just a little nervous," Anna admitted. "And I talk a lot when I'm nervous. It's been a while since I got to meet new people and I'm excited and then I remember that some of the new people I'm meeting are Elsa's _parents_, and then I'm nervous again and then…I'm still rambling," she realized with a sigh. Eudora smiled at her in sympathy and did what came naturally. She reached out her arms and encircled Anna in a warm, firm hug. Anna instantly relaxed and she hugged Eudora back. "Thank you," she mumbled against the older woman's shoulder.

"You looked like you needed it, sugar," Eudora said affectionately. "But please don't worry yourself so much. We're all family here, and that includes you, especially since your other family is out risking her neck for us." She gave Anna another squeeze before releasing her and Eudora turned her attention to the two men still standing by the hovercraft. "Now what are you two lollygagging around here for? Get Miss Anna's things to her room and then get this ship parked properly," she ordered. Ray and Lewis jumped and sheepishly did as they were told as Eudora led Anna out of the hanger to give her a tour of the expansive facilities.

Anna looked around as Eudora led her from the carriage house, as the hangar was called, into the main house. As they travelled, Anna realized the facility was huge and unexpectedly beautiful. When Leader had told Anna that she would be going to Big Daddy's "compound", Anna had imagined someplace cold and militaristic. Instead it was the stately home and mansion of a sugar baron and cotton king where brick, marble, hardwood and silk combined to give the whole place an antebellum charm. The bottom floors had the meeting rooms and the kitchens, while the upstairs contained the bedrooms, libraries and other living spaces. Eudora showed Anna where her room was before whisking her away to have a tour of the gardens outside, and once outside, Marshmallow took off for the trees gratefully.

Anna had always had a weak spot for gardens; it was why the palace with the extensive gardens had been one of the buildings she had drawn for her Master on that first day. These weren't quite as magnificent but they were still stunning and Anna knew she wanted to spend a good deal of her time here exploring them. "This is a beautiful garden, Eudora," she gushed.

"From what we had heard about you, I thought you would like it," Eudora replied. A gazebo nestled in a pond came into view as they walked, and Anna noticed that there were two people sitting in it. "And here is where I leave you, sugar," Eudora said gently. "Those two people have been waiting to meet you for a very long time, and it's not my place to interfere. Y'all come back up to the house when you're done." She smiled at a slightly-panicked Anna and pushed her towards the gazebo before turning back to the house.

Anna swallowed before her optimism kicked in and she resolutely marched forward. Elsa was one of the most amazing people that she had ever met, so her parents had to be equally amazing to have a daughter like her, she reasoned. She crossed the small footbridge to the flower-covered structure, and the two people sitting on the small table rose instantly as she crossed the threshold into the gazebo. Not sure what to say or do, Anna went with what she always did. "Hi, I'm Anna," she said brightly. "It's very nice to finally meet you in person."

The older couple relaxed a bit at her words, and Elsa's mother came over first. "I'm Synni," she replied, reaching for Anna's hand, and Anna smiled at her before taking it. The shorter, dark brown-haired woman unexpectedly tugged on it, and Anna felt herself drawn into a hug. Anna hugged her back with fervor, and after a few seconds they broke apart, the nervous tension slowly dissipating. "And this is Alfred," she added, indicating the ginger man with the mustache.

"Please call me Al," he requested in a loud, jolly voice. "No one ever calls me Alfred unless I'm in trouble."

Anna laughed at that, and Elsa's parents joined in. As they sat themselves at the table, Anna was able to get a better look, and it was clear that Elsa was Daddy's girl. Her hair was much lighter, and she had her mother's lighter eyes, but the face was exactly the same. Well, except for the mustache, Anna chucked to herself. They sat around, talking about inconsequential things like the trip down and the weather until Synni noticed Anna's left hand and let out an undignified squeal. "She finally asked you!" she exclaimed, taking Anna's hand and examining the ring closely.

Anna blushed. "Well, she tried," Anna corrected. "But I told her no." At Synni and Al's quizzical looks, she explained. "We hadn't been a couple all that long when I told her that I was going to be the one doing the asking. So, when she asked, I told her no and then asked her myself," Anna said with a hint of pride.

Al's booming laugh startled the other two women. "It would take someone with that level of chutzpah to snag my _shneyele_," he laughed.

"_Shneyele_?" Anna questioned.

"Snowflake," Synni translated. "It was Elsa's childhood nickname."

Anna's grin grew speculative and impish. She was never able to get Elsa to open up all that much about her childhood and now she had informants who seemed more than willing and able to tell her anything and everything she wanted to know. She was about to ask about what Elsa was like when she was a child when Synni got a better look at her right-hand braid. Synni gasped and reached out for it much like Elsa had done when she had first seen it.

"H-how long have you had this?" Synni asked, the tone shifting from congenial to concerned in an instant as she traced the white stripe woven through the braid.

"About two days," Anna answered, her own concern growing as Synni and Al exchanged looks. "Elsa thought that she had frozen part of me somehow, but she couldn't sense anything. Why? What does it mean?"

"It doesn't necessarily mean that some part of you is frozen," Synni explained, still examining the braid and relaxing somewhat as she thought it through. "And if you are still walking and talking and not frozen after two days, then you weren't frozen and you aren't frozen. But somehow Elsa's powers must have touched you; otherwise you wouldn't have the stripe. These are your family's powers, Al. Any other thoughts?" she asked her husband.

"Mama didn't tell me much," Al admitted. "She loved her powers, but she was scared of the State ever finding out about them for obvious reasons. She didn't talk about them and she only broke her silence when her beloved baby granddaughter started making it snow indoors." His grin came back, and there was a wistful merriment about it. "Man, were those two a pair when Elsa got a little older," he reminisced. "Mama taught her everything and they were both pranksters. It's a wonder we made it out alive." Anna smiled at him and he embarrassedly came back to the present with a cough. "But, to answer your question better, Syn, Elsa or you would be the one to ask. Mama told her and you a lot more than she ever told me," he finished.

Synni nodded. "And your mom never really told me about this, so I guess we just wait and see?" she offered, looking at Anna.

"It looks like all we can do," Anna said sunnily. "And I wouldn't worry. Elsa froze me already and I don't feel anything like I did then. I think it was just a random quirk of her powers and I'll be okay." She looked at her future in-laws with happy confidence and after a moment, they smiled back. "So besides being a prankster, what was Elsa like as a kid?" Anna asked with a grin, deftly changing the subject to what she wanted to talk about.

"Well, before we tell you anything, I have to ask one thing," Al stated with playful seriousness. "How much does she love you?"

Anna considered this. "Enough to tell me her real name, to reveal herself as an Extraordinary, to save me from execution, and to ask me to marry her," she calculated.

"Okay, that's a lot, so hopefully you can convince her not to kill me when I've told you all of her embarrassing stories," Al decided with a grin and Anna laughed.

The hours slipped by as Al, Synni and Anna swapped Elsa stories. Synni and Alfred had plenty, but Anna had several of her own, and as they chatted they grew more and more comfortable with each other. Anna learned, much to her non-surprise, that Elsa had been headstrong and incredibly smart even as a toddler; she had taught herself to read simple things by the time she was two and everything she did usually had to be done her way. Yet, she was still creative and playful; she had been fascinated by books from an early age and even when she couldn't read the words, she would make up stories to go with the pictures. Elsa had also idolized Al, and anything he did, she did. She learned to chop wood, fish and tinker with anything that needed to be fixed, and she was good at it. Sewing, though, not so much, according to Synni. "I just don't think she had the patience for it," Synni admitted. "Her mind moves way too fast for her to just sit and move needle and thread."

"Apparently she learned enough to sew on a button and repair rips, though," Anna said. "She mended all of our clothes when we were at the cottage. I tried to get her to show me, but she said it was easier for her to do it herself."

Synni laughed. "That sounds like Elsa," she confirmed. "But I would be happy to teach you if you would like to learn. Eudora is a seamstress herself and she had a wonderful sewing room. It would be nice to teach my craft to someone who actually wanted to learn it."

Anna beamed. She always wanted to learn new things and Synni seemed patient enough to stick with her and teach her. Not many people were; Elsa had been one of the few, and Anna now saw where she got it from. "I'd love that," she said sincerely.

Synni beamed in return. "It's a plan, then," she decided happily.

Anna smiled and started to ask another question when a bellow from across the garden surprised them all. "Where is she?" the thunderous voice demanded good-naturedly. "Where is my infamous houseguest?"

"Eli, shush," Eudora chastised him as they walked towards the gazebo. "The poor girl has been through a lot in a very short time. She doesn't need you trumpeting at her like an elephant."

Anna rose as a rotund but handsome red-haired man came jollily into the gazebo and made a beeline straight for her. She smiled; this really couldn't be anyone but Big Daddy LaBouff. "I think I'm whom you're looking for, sir," she informed him with one of her charming grins and an outstretched hand. "I'm Anna."

"You were right, Eudora; she simply is cute as a button," Big Daddy chortled to the woman beside him. "There are no 'sirs' around here, sugarplum," he stated, turning to Anna with a warm smile. "Just call me Big Daddy or Eli if you would prefer." Anna nodded a cheerful assent and Big Daddy laughed. "Now come on, princess; lunch is being served at the main house and we have so much to talk about," he said, offering his arm to Anna like a Southern gentleman of old. She took it and before the rest of them could blink, the two redheads took off down the path, chatting like old friends.

"Oh lord," Eudora sighed. "He finally found someone besides Lottie who talks as much as he does." Elsa's parents chuckled and followed Eudora out of the gazebo and back to the house.

Lunch was convivial and delicious, and Anna got to taste dishes that she hadn't eaten since she had been on Campus. The best part was that they were homemade by people who didn't need recipes and they far exceeded whatever restaurant had been trying to recreate them. True to Eudora's prediction, Big Daddy could talk a lot and Anna matched him word for word, so that by the end of lunch there was little about each other that they didn't know. Eudora noticed that Anna talked very little about the Ice Queen, though, and she smirked at the subtle way the redhead was still protecting her Intended.

After lunch, Synni and Eudora spirited Anna away to the sewing room, and she was given the tour and a basic introduction to things. They spent a few hours in there as both of the older ladies patiently explained some of the finer points of sewing and Anna soaked up every word, delighting Synni to no end. Synni loved Elsa to death and she wouldn't trade her daughter for the world, but Elsa had been a headstrong tomboy, and Anna was much more willing to learn her beloved craft. And, Anna showed a talent for it that Elsa never really had, so Synni was excited to see what Anna was capable of.

After the sewing lesson, it was the combination of Ray and Louis that gleefully kidnapped Anna, and they showed her around the carriage house and stables. Big Daddy had beautiful horses and beautiful vehicles and the two men kept encouraging Anna to fetch either of them whenever she fancied a ride on either. They also showed Anna the new litter of puppies that the family dog Stella had just had a few weeks ago, and Anna happily played with them until the call came from the main house for dinner.

It was getting dark as they walked back, so Anna whistled and a few moments later, Marshmallow sat at her feet. She rubbed his head and he purred as they strolled back to the house. She introduced the lynx to everyone who hadn't met him, and they all sat down to dinner. After another delicious feast, they retired to the parlor to talk some more, but finally the long and somewhat stressful day caught up to everyone and they said goodnight.

Anna found her way back to her room, Marshmallow in tow, and her suitcase and satchel were waiting for her on the bed. She rummaged around in the suitcase until she found her pajamas and she put them on, hanging up her dress in the massive closet that the room held. She peeled back the covers and crawled into bed, smiling when Marshmallow joined her. She lay there for a long while trying to get used to the new surroundings, but without Elsa, sleep was proving elusive even with as tired as she was. She hadn't gone to bed without Elsa since the night before her aborted execution, and sleep hadn't been a priority that night, anyway, so it had been a very long time since she had slept alone. Even with Marshmallow's warm body snuggled up to her, she missed Elsa desperately and a few tears escaped as she tried to relax.

Finally giving up, she eased away from Marshmallow and got out of bed. She wandered around the very large room, looking for something to distract herself with when her satchel caught her eye. Maybe she had brought something with her that would help, she reasoned. She opened it up and started taking out things; a few books, a sketch pad and a stuffed llama emerged, and she smiled at the sweet gift from the Assistant before she set the llama down on the desk. She kept excavating and when she got to the bottom, she felt two oddly shaped items that she couldn't remember packing. She withdrew the first and gasped when an intricately-carved wooden picture frame emerged containing a beautiful picture of her and Elsa. She flipped it over, and Elinor's familiar script greeted her. "Geppetto, Fergus and I send our love," the note said simply and more tears started falling as Anna put the picture on the desk beside the llama.

Anna brought out the second item, and it was a small box with a lid. She opened the lid, and she gasped again as a miniature snow kitten woke up and yawned at her. Anna picked it up gently and it batted at her fingers as she laid the tiny creature in her palm. It had a small cloud over its head from which snowflakes were falling and Anna surmised that the kitty's own personal flurry was how Elsa planned to keep the tiny cat frozen in the heat of Old New Orleans. Anna brought the cat up to her face and it responded by batting her nose. She giggled, and the cat started purring. "So amazing," Anna whispered. She looked at her picture and looked at her kitten and suddenly Anna felt much better than she had only moments before. She smiled and tucked the mini-kitten back into its snug box before bringing the lidless box over to her nightstand. Anna snuggled back into Marshmallow and within minutes, she was asleep.

The ache for Elsa never went away, but immersing herself in the love of the people around her and the beautiful culture of her temporary home soothed Anna over the next few weeks. She learned to sew, but more importantly, while visiting with Eudora and Synni, she learned more about the people she was staying with, their families, and the woman she loved. "So how long have Tiana and Lottie been together?" she asked one day as they were setting up their supplies.

"Practically since they were babies," Eudora confirmed. "Eli has always been one of the biggest employers here in Old New Orleans, and my husband James worked for him. I was pregnant with Tiana about the time he started working here, and Eli's wife, Lilly Belle, noticed me when I would come to visit. She was pregnant herself and we became fast friends. The girls were born a few weeks apart and they were pretty much inseparable, especially after Lilly Belle died. We always thought that when they became teenagers, some boy would probably come between them, but no, they fell in love with each other. And after they pestered us for months, Eli and I finally let them get married when Lottie turned sixteen." She acknowledged Anna and Synni's surprised looks. "We knew that the State wouldn't recognize it because of the Test and everything, but we had a hunch that Tiana might test Plebian and we wanted to give them whatever happiness they could have for the time they could have it," she explained. "Especially since the State had already taken James and Lilly Belle from us and them."

"What happened to them?" Anna asked quietly.

"Lilly Belle died 'accidentally' as a warning to Eli that he was being a little too rebellious in the eyes of the State," she said. "James was executed in the town square when they caught him with contraband that he was fetching for Eli. Eli's never gotten over the guilt he carries for them both and both losses only made him fight against the State that much harder. He was damn near inconsolable when both of our baby girls tested Plebian and were forced to become the pawns of that State."

"At least they're together," Anna offered, and Eudora smiled.

"So true, child," Eudora answered. "I think that was only thing that kept Eli and I going that first year. After that, though, they managed to find Leader and the other subversives like yourself and join the Rebellion, so now we know we will get them back. It just might take a while."

"You will get them back," Anna said confidently, before changing the subject as she liked to do. "So, what about you and Big Daddy? Why aren't you two married yet?" she asked cheekily.

Eudora chuckled. "Always right to the point, aren't you, sugar?" she teased, and Anna nodded irreverently. "Well, it's true I care a lot for Eli and he cares for me, but we work better as friends. We tried the romance thing, but it just didn't work out. I think we still love our first spouses a little too much."

"I can totally understand that," Anna sympathized. "I don't really know what I would do without Elsa."

"Well, from what I've seen, you won't have to worry too much about losing her," Eudora comforted her. "She's very powerful, even for an Extraordinary."

"I hear Tiana is too," Synni mentioned as she tied off the thread.

"When she wants to be," Eudora replied. "But she didn't really have anyone to teach her about her telekinesis so she doesn't have perfect control. And she blames herself for her Daddy's death because she didn't use her powers to save him. Because of that, she only uses her powers when she has to and she's never really enjoyed using them."

"She does now," Anna mentioned and both Eudora and Synni turned to look at her. "Um, someone might have pranked Tiana enough that she might have, um, started using her powers to prank back. And that same someone might have kept doing that until Tiana was comfortable using them," she hypothesized. Eudora looked at her sharply. "It's just a rumor, though," Anna lied badly. "I wouldn't know for sure or anything."

"Oh, child, you are a horrible liar," Eudora said, her face spreading out into a smile. "But thank you for getting her to embrace who she is."

"She seems to have a talent for that," Synni said with a knowing smirk, causing Anna to blush.

"Um, well, I better go; I have to go," Anna stuttered, hastily putting down her sewing and bolting for the door before the teasing really got started. Eudora and Synni shared knowing smiles before putting down their things and following her out the door.

Another week or so passed, and Anna settled even further into a daily routine that involved spending time with all six of the adults she loved and trusted in the household and keeping Marshmallow out of trouble. She also continued to meet new people as Big Daddy deemed them trustworthy, including one dashing young man named Naveen, an inveterate flirt that became a nice person to talk to once Anna explained she was very much taken. Her one complaint was that news of Elsa was scarce; the only news they had about her came from State websites detailing her various crimes on Campus. However, even these reports admitted they hadn't caught her yet, Anna noted, and she was confident it wouldn't be long before Leader's master plan would be ready and she would have her Elsa back.

It was at the end of this second week that Anna became ill, and after it persisted for a while, Big Daddy sent for a doctor. A licensed State Doctor was out of the question due to Anna's fugitive status, so Big Daddy sent for what he thought was the next best thing, Eudora's brother-in-law, Dr. John Facilier. True, Facilier was more of a medicine man and holistic healer than a real Doctor, but he was family and Big Daddy hoped he would be able to help.

"So where is the patient?" Facilier asked as he was escorted through the hallways.

"Right up here, John," Eudora answered. "But, what you see doesn't leave this house, you hear?"

Facilier nodded, thinking that another one of Big Daddy's thugs had gotten shot and he needed to patch the person up. Who he actually saw sleeping in the bed, though, made him stop in his tracks in the middle of the bedroom. "The Apprentice," he breathed.

"What are you talking about, John?" Eudora said pointedly. "There's no one here but Eli's long-lost niece."

"Of course, of course," he quickly said, seeing the warning glare Eudora was giving him. He went to Anna's bedside and knelt, feeling her head for temperature. She was cool to the touch, though, so he felt carefully around her neck to check for swollen lymph nodes. She stirred at this touch and her eyes grew wide at seeing a stranger so close to her. He withdrew his hand quickly and stood up. "Dr. John Facilier, at your service, Ms.…LaBouff," he said. "I am sorry to have disturbed your rest. My sister-in-law was worried about you and she asked me to come check on you."

"Sister-in-law?" Anna questioned suspiciously. Having one of those was nearly impossible with the one-child rule of the State.

"He's James' twin brother, sugar; he's family," Eudora assured her, coming up on the other side.

Anna relaxed. "Oh, okay then," she said.

"May I check a few more things out, Miss?" Facilier asked.

"Sure," Anna replied.

Facilier poked and prodded, looked down Anna's throat and had her cough, and after he made a few notes, he made his diagnosis. "It looks like food poisoning," he decided. "Give her plenty of fluids and try to keep her hydrated. She's young and healthy and she should recover in a few more days."

Eudora breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good news, John. Thank you," she said gratefully.

"Anything for you, 'Dora," he said with a tip of his cap. "I'll show myself out."

Eudora gave him a hug of thanks and he let himself sink into it, his body craving her gentle touch as it always had. Eventually, though, she let him go, and he found himself walking down the opulent halls of the LaBouff mansion. His lips curled up into a snarl as he surveyed the ostentatious wealth around him. Oh how he hated Big Daddy LaBouff. He and James had been forced to scrabble for everything that they had ever had, while Big Daddy and his brat of a daughter lived high on the hog. Then, he had even managed to steal James away from him by offering him a job that eventually got his brother killed. On top of all that, he had even managed to snare Eudora, the only woman he had ever loved and had only given up because she loved his adored brother more. The man had everything that Facilier had ever wanted, including Eudora, and he was goddamn tired of it.

But, now, he had everything in his power to turn the tables. The bounty for the Apprentice, though not as great as that for the Ice Queen, was enough to make him wealthy for the rest of his life and Big Daddy LaBouff was sure to be executed for such a crime against the State. He would just have to get Eudora out before the Enforcers came. His snarl turned into a malevolent grin as he left the LaBouff estate and he chuckled to himself as he walked away.


End file.
